determines the pursuits of inferior creatures. Whilst they are utterly unable to judge of causes and effects; to draw consequences, or to reason about the nature and tendency of things, in order to avoid, or embrace; and are rather acted upon, than act; we deliberate, we choose our way, we feel and examine what is before us: this is good, and therefore to be chosen; that is evil, and therefore to be avoided; this will improve our minds, the other leads to dishonour and misery. We can contemplate the precepts of divine wisdom, derive instruction from them, converse with the Supreme Father, desire his favour, and dispose ourselves for the everlasting enjoyment of it.

In man was the work of creation completed, on the sixth day. The account then winds up with this conclusion: "And God saw every thing that he had made, and behold it was very good." "And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it, because that in it he had rested from all his work, which he had created and made." In the charge given by Moses to the Israelites respecting the observance of the Sabbath, he frequently reminds them of the occasion of its being divinely instituted on the seventh day; but he does not refer to it in

any other manner, unless it be in the book of Job; where, to the sublime description of creation is added: "When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy." A sabbath thus celebrated by the heavenly host, must have been unspeakably holy and glorious.

After the general account of creation, Moses descends to a more particular description of the formation of Adam and Eve, as well as of the situation peculiarly adapted to their residence : "And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there he put the man whom he had formed."

Imagination cannot conceive a more delightful situation than this is represented to have been; for every tree that was pleasant to the sight and good for food, grew in it; and it was watered by a river so considerable, that thence it was parted, and became four heads. In addition were two trees, the description of which is very remarkable; one was the tree of life in the midst of the garden, the other the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

"And the Lord God took the man, and put him in the Garden of Eden, to dress it and to

keep it ;" which shows that man was originally intended for business; and the Lord commanded his attention in the most positive manner, saying: "Of every tree in the garden thou mayest freely eat, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it; for in the day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die. When we contemplate the amplitude of the dominion and power over all other creatures with which Adam was invested, by his sovereign Lord and law-giver, we must conclude, that, feeling his heart overflow with gratitude, he would be desirous of giving signal proofs of his obedience and love; which, without some test of his fidelity and allegiance, could not have been manifested.

x Adam's obedience is put upon trial by the prohibition. He had not gained the habits of obedience, and holiness; but was put under this instance of discipline, in order to his acquiring them. These two trees have been considered as Adam's books: God was pleased, by these external means, to impress upon his mind just conceptions of the very different consequences of obedience and disobedience; and it will be of great use to us at this day, to look into and meditate upon these two books of our first father.

This is finely pourtrayed by our poet Milton in the speech of Adam to Eve:

"Then let us not think hard

One easy prohibition, who enjoy

Free leave so large to all things else, and choice

Unlimited of manifold delights:

But let us ever praise Him, and extol

His bounty, following our delightful task.”

The tree of life, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, have given rise to much discussion. As to the first, it seems to be generally supposed, that it was a natural means of preserving man's life, and freeing him from all infirmity and decay that the tree of knowledge of good and evil, was so called, because by the eating of it, man came to know experimentally, the vast difference between good and evil; he knew the greatness of the good formerly enjoyed, by the loss of it; and the greatness of the evil he had brought upon himself, by the feeling of it. Here is the first glimpse of the mystery of God; and of the scheme, commencing from the foundation of the world, unfolding itself by just gradations through a long succession of ages, and which will

be fully accomplished only in the consummation of all things.

The history of man is the history of the providence of God, having for its object his own glory and man's felicity.

This plan could not have commenced with a more appropriate figure than that of a garden.

A garden is taken out of common and waste ground, to be applied to the use of man; for which it is planted with all that it is profitable and delightful. The situation selected for the garden of Eden, and planted by a divine hand, was no doubt intended to be the prototype of the Church of Christ, chosen out of all the world. Here some portion of every grace being implanted, his love to it is represented in Canticles by the most affectionate language: "A garden enclosed is my sister, my spouse; and the prayer of the church to be made fit for his presence, is finely described in the language: "Awake, oh, north wind! and come thou south, blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out. Let my beloved come into his garden and eat his pleasant fruits." Some persons have thought it incredible that the Almighty should have had colloquial intercourse with the first of human beings; but what could